Issues of Primary Importance

1. Energy: Like many Californians, I am a strong advocate for investing money and research into legitimizing alternative energies for economic use. I believe that while part of gaining energy independence through acquiring a domestic source of oil, this solution can be temporary at best. We do not want to buy oil from our enemies in the Middle East and Venezuela, but we do not want to further destroy the environment and change the climate. Investment in energy is paramount to our economic success, national security, and environmental preservation.

2. Economic Stimulus: Normally this issue would not be second on my list, but the flagrant need for a boost in the economy requires my (and perhaps several other people’s) attention. The country is bordering on recession and people are quickly loosing jobs. Since one of America’s core strengths as a world power is economic prosperity, maintaining it is vital to the nation’s well-being. The economy must be stimulated quickly and effectively, and so trumps many rival issues in importance.


3. Iraq: I do not know the exact figure, but America shovels about $10 billion a month into Iraq. Almost no one denies anymore that Washington led America there under false pretenses and anyone who reads a newspaper has waited for success there that will never come. The term “Iraq War” is a poor characterization—this is not a war, but an occupation. No one can win an occupation. That is why talk of victory is misleading and would keep America’s troops in Iraq indefinitely. Now more than ever, this country cannot afford, in any sense of the word, to remain in Iraq. No one is suggesting withdrawal from Afghanistan of the search for Bin Laden; but America’s interests lie in extricating itself from Iraq.